Oak tree commemoration for first year of Rewilding Harborough

An oak tree was planted to mark the first year of our Rewilding Harborough project in December.

His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mike Kapur Esq. OBE CStJ, planted the oak and unveiled a plaque.

Rewilding Harborough aims to restore nature on 130 acres of land to the north of Market Harborough and Great Bowden, bringing benefits to wildlife, people and communities. It is a project that is expected to be of national significance and has already been a catalyst for wider partner involvement which has brought the total rewilding project to over 500 acres. 

With the support of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and other stakeholders, the project has begun to reconnect habitats across the landscape and restore natural processes to support nature recovery at scale. It will also provide opportunities to bring people closer to nature around them. 

Observation of the land will continue in the coming months to build upon ecological work undertaken in 2025. Detailed planning for habitat and infrastructure development will start in late 2026 or early 2027.  

25th anniversary of town's Millennium tapestry

Representatives from Market Harborough’s u3a recently attended an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the Millennium Tapestry, hosted by the council’s Chairman.

To mark the new century, more than 40 members of the Market Harborough u3a group spent over three years making the tapestry, which features more than 60 panels depicting buildings and events in the town. 

To coincide with the 25th anniversary of the tapestry, the Harborough Welland u3a Movie Group made a film about the places shown in the tapestry. The film includes footage of the unveiling of the tapestry on 15 November 2000.

The tapestry remains on display on the ground floor of The Symington Building in Market Harborough.

Pictured: Cllr Peter James, Chairman of Harborough District Council with members of Market Harborough’s u3a group and Cllr Phil Knowles, Leader of the Council.

Energy saving measures to help you stay warm and save money

With the high costs of energy, it’s worthwhile checking how you can improve the energy efficiency of your home:

• Get advice from Harborough Community Energy

• Age UK Leicestershire offer free advice to the over 50s through their Warm and Wise service

• Contact Leicestershire County Council’s warm homes team for the latest information on grants for energy efficiency work

• Some households on lower incomes can get help with loft and cavity wall insulation, subject to eligibility

• Government grants of up to £7,500 are available for replacing gas, oil or LPG boilers with air or ground source heat pumps or in some cases biomass boilers

• Check your eligibility for the new Warm Homes: Local Grant which provides eligible households with free energy efficiency improvements or clean heating (such as air source heat pumps) for their homes, following a home assessment

• Citizens Advice offer energy advice including help if you are struggling to pay your bills and support with reading your energy meter

Keeping your home warm

As temperatures drop, it’s important to take extra care to keep warm and protect your health. Cold weather can have serious health impacts, especially for those who are more vulnerable. Please consider who might need extra support during these months.

Who is most at risk?

• Older adults (65+) as age can reduce the body’s ability to stay warm

• People with long-term health conditions, especially cardiovascular, respiratory, or mental health issues

• Pregnant women – extra care is needed for both mother and baby

• Young children (under fives) – they lose heat faster than adults

• People with learning disabilities may need help managing warmth

• Those at risk of falls as cold homes can increase hazards

• Individuals living alone or housebound as isolation can make it harder to cope

• People with low mobility - limited movement reduces heat generation

• Households in deprived circumstances because rising costs make heating difficult.

With living costs high, many face difficult choices between heating and eating. Cold homes can lead to increased illness, hospital admissions and even fatalities. 

What you can do:

• Heat key rooms – aim for at least 18°C in rooms you use most, like the living room or bedroom

• Block draughts – affordable draught excluders around doors can make a big difference

• Close bedroom windows at night to prevent heat loss while you sleep

• Layer up – several thin layers trap heat better than one thick garment

• Check in on vulnerable neighbours, friends, and family. A simple call or visit can make a big difference

Community newsletter for all households

Every household in Harborough district will receive a newsletter from us this month.

The four-page, A4 newsletter which will be delivered to residents' homes, includes information about our Rewilding Harborough project, Community Awards, Local Plan and £1million Community Grants fund.

The annual newsletter also has information about how you can report a missed bin collection, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour as well as how to apply for benefits and make a payment. 

Information about our customer services is also included for those residents who do not have access to the internet, or who choose not to access information electronically, and who do not have someone trusted that can help them.

The newsletter is printed on paper that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Sustainability, quality and cost have all been factors in selecting the paper stock and distribution methods.

Support for mental health in Harborough district

If you are struggling with your mental health, then help is at hand.

There are Neighbourhood Mental Health Cafés (NMHC) in Harborough district that are run by trained and supportive staff who are there to listen and provide the practical support you may need, when you need it most.

If you’re 18+ and struggling with your mental health, staff at the cafes can help you make plans to enable you to feel safer, as well as explaining who you can turn to for help in your local community.

You do not need to see your GP first, you can just drop into one of the cafes in Lutterworth or Market Harborough.

They are a safe, welcoming space where you can:

• Talk through what’s on your mind with trained staff

• Find support for your mental health and wellbeing

• Get practical advice and coping strategies

Urgent support for your mental health and wellbeing is available whenever you need it. If you, or someone you care about, want to talk about mental health, call NHS 111 and select option 2. This service is available 24/7.

For information on mental health support visit Mental health support - Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust

Canal River Trust offers guided canalside walks from 10 February

Would you like to enjoy more time outside with like-minded people? 

The Canal and River Trust is offering free, volunteer led canalside walks that are an easy way to be active and to socialise. 

Walks are at a gentle pace and are suitable for anyone who does not have a severe mobility difficulty and/or is not seriously unfit. 

Walks are around 90 minutes long and participants must book before attending by contacting Sean Payne at sean.payne@canalrivertrust.org.uk or on 07795 057198

The walk meet point is outside the Waterfront Pub at Union Wharf, Market Harborough on the following dates: 10 February, 10 March, 21 April, 19 May and 23 June. All walks start at 10am.

More help for homeless people after government funding award

The council will buy more homes for people in need with a government award of £466,000 towards the purchase of two homeless temporary accommodation units and one resettlement property.

The homes will be located across the area including Market Harborough and Medbourne.

In 2024 the council received £514,750 and subsequently acquired two units of homeless temporary accommodation and a resettlement property.

Worried about someone sleeping rough?

Did you know that if you’re worried about someone sleeping rough, you can take action by visiting the StreetLink website to report their whereabouts.

StreetLink is a platform that connects people rough sleeping in England and Wales to support provided by local authorities and charities.

This includes anyone who is sleeping outside, preparing to bed down, or sleeping somewhere not designed for habitation, such as a car.

To make these connections, the platform relies on alerts submitted by members of the public and people sleeping rough.

Call for Communities to ‘Stand up to Flooding’

We’re backing a campaign calling on local communities and businesses to ‘Stand up to Flooding’, a year after some of the worst flooding to hit Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

The ‘Stand up to Flooding’ initiative is being spearheaded by the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) which brings together key agencies from across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland including Harborough District Council. As part of the LRF, we help to prepare, protect and empower communities and businesses, in case of emergency.

The campaign is encouraging local people and businesses to take action to protect themselves before, during and after flooding. It aims to:

• Make it clear ‘who does what’ and which organisation to contact when flooding happens

• Recruit more flood wardens in communities across Leicestershire and Rutland

• Support communities to create their own Community Response Plans

• Encourage businesses to assess their flood risk and take action

• Highlight how communities and organisations can work together to build resilience to flooding and other risks

Guide to flood actions:

Before a flood

• Know your flood risk and sign up for flood alerts 

• Check gutters, drains and downpipes and clear leaves and debris – your home is more likely to flood if your drain is blocked

• Pack a bag that includes medicine and insurance documents

• Look for home insurance policies that offer ‘build back better’ clauses - the average cost to repair a home after flooding is £30,000

During/ after a flood

• In an emergency, always call 999

• Turn off gas, water and electricity – move things upstairs and move your family, pets and car to safety

• Never walk or drive through flood water – just 12 inches of fast-moving water can carry away most cars

• If you wish to report a blocked highway caused by fallen debris, call 101

• Flood water from highways or issues with land drainage – contact Leicestershire County Council

• Water supply or sewerage issues – contact Severn Trent Water or Anglian Water

• Clearing up debris after flooding – contact Harborough District Council

• High or overflowing rivers – contact Environment Agency

• Flooding on a motorway or major A road – contact National Highways

After a flood

• Follow the flood recovery checklist

• Contact your insurance company – don’t throw anything away without speaking to them

• Only re-enter your property when it’s safe to do so

• Future proof your property – consider property flood resilience (PFR), sign up to flood warnings, create a flood plan and get ‘Build Back Better’ insurance

Other useful links

• Report a flood
• Check flood risk maps
• Check for flood warnings by postcode and assess if you’re at risk 
• Check before you travel – find travel updates online or by listening and following the local radio 
• Stay up to date with weather warnings and weather information 
• Learn about flood Insurance

Marking Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January

We will mark Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January by flying a Holocaust Memorial flag and changing the colour of the event lights on The Symington Building and The Square to purple.

Holocaust Memorial Day is the international day for people to remember the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust under Nazi persecution, and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.

The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day this year is 'Bridging Generations' which the Holocaust Memorial Trust describes as a call-to-action and a reminder that the responsibility of remembrance doesn't end with the survivors - it lives on through their children, their grandchildren and through all of us.

This theme encourages people to engage actively with the past - to listen, to learn and to carry those lessons forward to build a bridge between memory and action, between history and hope for the future.

Organisations invited to apply for funds from £1 million Community Grant fund

Round two of year two of our £1million Community Grant remains open until 16 February.

The fund is a £1 million capital grant scheme for town and parish councils/meetings and community organisations in the Harborough district. 

Grants are allocated to towns and villages across the Harborough district to strengthen working relationships between the council and its parishes and communities, enabling delivery of projects and initiatives at a local level across the district.

Applicants need to demonstrate how their projects align with priorities including: community leadership to create a sense of pride in our place, promoting health and wellbeing and encouraging healthy life choices, creating a sustainable environment to protect future generations and supporting businesses and residents to deliver a prosperous local economy.

Full details about how to apply and supporting examples and templates are online.

Applicants can also book a space on a live Teams webinar with our Community Engagement Team:

• Webinar: Measuring what matters - understanding, evidencing and celebrating the difference you make - see the download from our website for more detailed information about what this will cover.

• Thursday 29 January 2026, 10.00 - 11.30am

Please complete our booking form.

Community Grant case study: Newton Harcourt Reading Room

Newton Harcourt is a village with no pub, sporting facilities or play areas and it does not feature on a bus route, so its Reading Room, which has a long and interesting history, is an important social and recreational facility for local residents.

A Community Grant was used to buy a pool table, shuffleboard, table tennis, projector screen and surround sound equipment to provide more activities and social events for residents and to attract a wider range of age groups from the village.

With a growing calendar of quizzes, coffee mornings, yoga, party bookings and music and talk events, the Reading Room also hopes the projection equipment and wifi availability will attract bookings from other activity groups, as wells as charities or businesses looking to host meetings.